![]() ![]() The only “long walk” is when taking the train to the C/D gates and that final stretch. Not sure what you are talking about, Gary. Long walk to security? It’s all of about two minutes from the counters. There is nothing more beautiful and satisfying than turning the corner on the access road and seeing the building come to life as the sun sets over Virginia.Ĥ. The main Terminal is an architectural wonder. While IAD used to be in the farm lands of NoVa it is now pretty much in the heart of the DMV as the metro area expands out further.ģ. Sure, DCA is close and wonderful, but limited in its destinations. The idea that it is far away from The District is really no longer relevant. It makes the trip far more reasonable and once you are on it its smooth sailing to the airport.Ģ. The Dulles access road is one of the few dedicated highways to an airport in the world. While Dulles has its shortfalls, the mobile lounges being at the top of the list, there are also many good features that make it far less “abhorrent” than you like to publish here.ġ. And it offers a fascinating window into how the future of aviation was seen through the eyes of the 1950. This animated film by Ray Eames and Charles Eames explains the idea for how the airport was designed – how tragic they believed it was to walk long distances to gates, how revolutionary it would be to have “mobile lounges” that became the Dulles People Movers. By 1966 Dulles International Airport was already regarded as a white elephant. ![]() So the government condemned houses in the predominantly African American neighborhood of Willard to build it instead. The original site for the airport was supposed to be closer to DC, in Fairfax County, but residents objected. Washington Dulles airport is so bad I almost don’t even blame the airport’s former TSA head for getting drunk on duty, abandoning his post, and driving away erratically. They’re finally talking about replacing the 1980s temporary concourse used by United. rather than where passengers actually need to go today. There’s a an airport train system, but United passengers quickly realize that the train was built to drop people off where they intend to build a new terminal at some indeterminate point in the future. In fact you have a walk to even reach security. And the way it’s laid out you’re still nowhere near most gates. After a 45 minute drive from downtown without traffic, you reach the airport. As with many airports, its far from city center. I love close-in National airport and abhor Dulles. The project is expected to provide 20 years of additional life to the vehicles, and help kick the can down the road on a replacement or extension of the AeroTrain to terminal D. These are no longer being built, since virtually no one else uses them any longer, and the manufacturer no longer supports them. Then, if that project goes well, they’ll consider doing the same with the remaining 47 (18 mobile lounges and 29 “plane mate” vehicles) over the following six years. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will spend $16 million to refurbish two of these vehciles, described as a “complete ground up re-engineer and design” that will take three years. These people movers were built in the 1960s. One of the unique features of Washington Dulles airport is that, despite building an expensive train system, they still use “mobile lounges” to ferry passengers across the airport from their D concourse and to bring passengers from some international flights directly to customs and immigration.
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